The Origins of CISRO: Science and the Commonwealth Government by George Currie and John Graham (Second Hand Book)

SECOND HAND BOOK

This is a history of the increasing involvement of the Commonwealth Government in the application of scientific research to the problems of primary and secondary industry during the years of 1901 to 1926.

Early in the life of the Federal Parliament efforts had been made to establish a Commonwealth Bureau of Agriculture, and, following a memorandum on the subject by Littleton Groom, bills for Commonwealth Bureau of Agriculture were introduced into parliament 1909 and again in 1913, but failed to become law.

It was not until 1916 that, following the example of Great Britain, the Hughes Government set up an Advisory Council of Science and Industry and thus committed the Commonwealth directly to an organization for scientific research.

The members of the council were appointed by the Governer-General, the council itself was given authority to initiate research work and granted some public moneys for the purpose. The year 1916 thus marked the beginning of an unbroken chain of scientific organizations beginning with the Advisory Council of Science and Industry and continuing on through the Institute of Science and Industry, the council for Scientific and Industrial Research to the present-day CSIRO and its jubilee year, 1966.

An astonishing number of leading men in Australia contributed to the development of the Organization in its early days but science had not caught the popular imagination at first, so the story of the period is largely one of struggle for existence by the infant Organization at a time when the Commonwealth was finding its own feet amongst States watchful for encroachment into fields in which they had prior claims.

Towards the end of the period many people were beginning to realize the vast potential of scientific research as applied to industry and the Bruce Government, after careful preparation of the ground with the States, passed the Science and Industry Reaearch Act of 1926 which for the first time provided enough money for the Organization to engage in scientific activities commensurate with its responsibilities.

Specifications:

Condition: Fair. Book itself in reasonable condition however dust jacket has substantial wear numerous with small rips.

Publisher: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization

Year: 1966

Format: Hardback

Pages: 203

$13.00

1 in stock